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The smell of the road, the wind at your back, infinity miles per gallon…
Riding your bike sure is sweet. But you know what would make it even sweeter? The tried-and-tested, make-it-yourself, $10 + 10 minutes Photojojo BikeCam!
Just don’t assemble it while moving. And stop at all red lights. And stop signs. And use your hand signals. And wear a helmet, for pete’s sake. Your brain’s in there.
p.s. WeSay is running a photo contest — submit election-related photos by the end of the week and they’ll be featured on the homepage of their national website. The winner’s photo will be shown as the ‘hero shot’! Submit your entry on WeSay.com or email politicspics@wesay.com
Why It’s Cool
Cameras are cool and bikes are cool, and the two together are downright freezing. Plus, the Tour de France is in full swing. It’s the season of the bike!
What You’ll Need
Everything you need for this project is pretty cheap. You’ll find it all at your local bike shop and hardware store.
Camera (smaller is better)
A reflector mount, reflector removed (ask at your local, loving bike shop)
Rubber shims for reflector mount (a shim is the small rubber strip that fits inside the round part of the mount)
Screwdriver
Wrench
2″x1/4″x20 thread screw
Nut for said screw
1/4″ wing nut
1/4″ metal washer
Two 1/4″ rubber washers (these work best if flat, as in not an o-ring)
Helmet (remember: brains)
Step 1: The Mount
Unscrew the screw that came with the reflector mount and wrap the rubber shim inside it. This keeps the mount from sliding around.
Next, fit the mount around the handlebars toward the middle, where the stem meets the handlebars.
Screw the mount shut.
Step 2: The Screw
Push the 2″-long screw up through the other hole in the mount. Hold it in place from underneath, as you move to…
Step 3: The Stack, Part 1
Slide one of the rubber washers onto the screw, then the metal washer, then the nut. Use your wrench to tighten the nut.
Step 4: The Stack, Part 2
Wind the wing nut (wings pointed down) onto the screw, then slide the second rubber washer on so that about 1/4 inch of the screw is left at the top.
Step 5: The Camera
Wind your camera onto the screw nice and tight. Point it forward (or backward, or sideways) and use the wing nut to tighten it some more if there’s any looseness.
You’re done!
Wear your helmet. Start pedaling. Snap, record, repeat!
p.s. This mount is pretty secure, and we take full responsibility for any fun times and awesome photos taken while using it.
Now what?
Your camera can now boldly go wherever your bike goes! Here are some ideas…
Cross a bridge or head down a single-track mountain bike trail
Weave through rush hour traffic (Market St in SF? Times Square in NYC?) Use the video mode on your camera for some great action videos.
Attach your bike to your car (or a bus, if you’re in the city) and hit record!
Does Critical Mass ride in your city? DO NOT forget your bike cam on the next ride!
Turn the camera to face you and pretend you’re in the Tour.
Ride through the scariest neighborhood in town. Fast. At 4 in the morning.
But, Can’t I Just Buy One?
If the do-it-yourself spirit hasn’t moved you and you just want to buy a mount, give the all-purpose Gorillapod a shake. Wrap it around the stem, handlebars, top tube. Coolest thing about it as a bike mount: its articulated head makes it easy to pan.
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